Thesis

The development of writing skills in French among illiterate adults: the case of learners admitted to literacy centers in Gabon

Under the direction of Dyanne Escorcia


Abstract

thesis project is a continuation of the work begun in the master’s program where we studied the difficulties adult learners face in acquiring written French in the context of literacy in a specialized structure in Libreville (Gabon). This master's work allowed us to analyze, from a developmental point of view, some of the obstacles that adult learners face and the cognitive mechanisms that underlie certain written productions, starting from the letter unit to the production of the sentence and the text.
Our dissertation project is based on two themes: literacy training for illiterate adults in Gabon on the one hand; and functional and civic institutions and organizations that support literacy in Gabon on the other.
During this study, we will seek to answer three main questions: What are the support structures for monitoring learners in Gabon? What are the outcomes of the training mechanisms in the literacy centers in Gabon and in the Francophone space? How can we promote the development of learning strategies and the reinforcement of the skills acquired by adults in literacy training?
Based on these questions, we consider three objectives:

  1. Description of the literacy landscape in Gabon by identifying public, private, and humanitarian initiatives that work to combat illiteracy in Gabon;
  2. The comparison between the training methods observed in Gabon and in the Francophone space in general and in France in particular;
  3. The study of the results of a learner monitoring system based on metacognitive and self-regulated activities for an individualization of approaches.


From a pedagogical point of view, we seek to know how to promote the development of learning strategies of the adults involved in order to maximize their chances of success; to improve the follow-up given to them; and to adjust the accompanying measures for their insertion in a functional context at the end of their training. The conceptual framework will involve metacognition, self-regulation and motivation. To this end, we will conduct our research using the three scales of analysis, microindividual, microsocial and macrosocial, as defined by Desjeux (2004).

Grant/Financial help 

Gabonese State (Gabon National Scholarship Agency (ANBG))

 
    

Background


Academic background 

  • 2019 : Master (Université Omar Bongo, Libreville, Gabon) 
  • 2016 : Bachelor (Université Omar Bongo, Libreville, Gabon)


Professional background 

  • 2018-2019 : Instructor (literacy) (Libreville, Gabon)
  • 2013 : Enumerator (RGPL2013) (Libreville, Gabon)